Troubled rink gets new chiller, may open on time

By Sean Paul Cormier

It’s getting cold at Veterans Memorial Rink. And that’s a good thing: with the help of a newly installed ice chiller the long-troubled and often closed rink could be ready to open on time this year for the first time in at least five years.

The rink, which has been plagued by delays and closures in the last few years, has finally made significant progress.

By George P. Hassett

Several cars caught fire this morning in the vicinity of 270 Highland Ave and the incident is being investigated by the fire depaerment’s arson unit, according to Police Captain Paul Upton.

State Rep. Carl Sciortino beat challenger Bob Trane by 72 votes in Somerville yesterday. The state rep. district also includes parts of Medford. Here is a precinct by precint breakdown of the results, according to the Somerville election department.

In Ward 4 Precinct 1, Trane beat Sciortino 195 to 152.

In Ward 4 Precinct 2, Sciortino beat Trane 190 to 145.

In Ward 7 Precinct 1, Sciortino beat Trane 393 to 232.

In Ward 7 Precinct 2 Trane beat Sciortino 356 to 208.

In Ward 7 Precinct 3, Sciortino beat Trane 308 to 251.

Tonight at the Precinct Bar in Union Square from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. – The Somerville News is hosting a thank you party for all of our readers, advertisers and people associated with the paper over the past five years of new ownership. Come and say hi to the owners and staff of the paper and find out what’s going on.   

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Election day here was interesting to say the least; a lot of ‚ÄúOut of Towners‚Äù flocked to Somerville and Medford the night before handing out stickers where they could for Stickers Carl. Some even looked too young to vote, and even lost looking for houses and numbers. Funny how four years ago when they had a sticker candidate the rules were different. Many times, in one precinct, workers were crossing the 150-foot boundary drawn up by the Election Department – some were caught on video.    

By George P. Hassett

His name wasn’t on the ballot, but voters in Somerville and Medford chose to return Carl Sciortino to the State House for a third term on Tuesday.

By George P. Hassett

Carl Sciortino’s name was not on the ballot yet he still managed to hold onto his state rep. seat today, defeating challenger Bob Trane on a sticker campaign.

A few minutes ago at the Sons of Italy in Medford, Trane conceded the race and told cheering supporters, "We went up against a machine and fought the good fight."

By George P. Hassett

Bob Trane may sue The Somerville Journal for what his lawyer says was a “scurrilous” cartoon the paper ran five days before tomorrow’s hotly contested state rep. election.
In a release from his campaign, Trane said the cartoon – which insinuated that he stole his opponent’s nomination papers – combined with the wrong placement of an ad he bought, was a specific attempt to hurt his chances against incumbent State Rep. Carl Sciortino. In the same issue, the Journal endorsed Sciortino.

By George P. Hassett

The first cable access broadcast in Somerville featured a dog peeing and a Marine enlistee swearing. But today, programs on Somerville Community Access Television are more likely to be produced by teens with positive messages or immigrants communicating in their native tongues.

Beginning today, SCAT celebrates 25 years of community programming as the state’s oldest public access station (the channel also features the oldest public access program in the world, Dead Air Live, which dates back to the early 1970s before SCAT, when the Somerville Media Action Project broadcast from Davis Square).